It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year

Good News: We are nine days away from Christmas! Bad News: We are nine days away from Christmas! For many of us, that means that we have nine more days of stress, from unfinished Christmas shopping to planning the family get togethers. What should be a time of hope, peace, joy, and love is truly a time of anxiety. If you are feeling stressed about Christmas, then you are not alone. According to the New York Times, in Sweden, the Christmas season is peak times for heart attacks. Swedish researchers found that compared to two weeks before and after Christmas, the risk of heart attack was 15 percent higher on Christmas Day and 37 percent higher on Christmas Eve. The season surely does not sound like the most wonderful time of the year now, does it? Why are we so stressed during the holidays? One cardiologist suggests that special holiday stresses come from shopping, travel, difficult relatives or friends, extra physical activity and too much eating and drinking. According to Scripture, Jesus did not come to give us stress, He came to give us peace. He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). The Well Church, let us remember what the season of Advent is all about — giving thanks for Christ’s birth as we also anticipate his return. It is a time of repentance in the hope of His return. Let us, therefore, turn to Him, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

Merry Christmas!